Month: August 2009

My name is Lorraine Kubala, and I have been involved in instrumental school music some way or another for more than 40 years. I recently retired after 32 years of band directing at a total of 22 different elementary, middle, and high schools. And although I have a lot of other interests, I still intend to remain active in the music community. This fall I will be reporting on marching band activity in the El Paso area and will also author this blog, where I will write about many different aspects of our musical community, including organizations, events, and the people behind all those great performances.

First, though, a little more about myself. I was born in El Paso in 1956 to Robert and Maurine Baldwin. I have an older sister, Barbara, and a brother, Doug. My whole family was actively involved in music. Both my parents were in it professionally; my father was a bass player back in the 40's and 50's, and at one time played in Tommy Dorsey's Band. My mother spent the early 1940's as a band director in South Dakota before she joined the WAVES when the war broke out.

All three of us kids joined a school music organization at Eastwood Knolls School. My siblings joined the band, I went to orchestra. When I started high school at Eastwood, I started to play the euphonium and later joined the jazz band on the bass guitar. I continued to play in the orchestra as well and attempted one year to add choir to my schedule, but that proved to be one music class too many!

I had a great time in high school, was a member of the all-distict band and orchestra, made the All- State band twice, and after graduating in 1974, naturally decided music was my future. I went to West Texas State University, now WTA&M, and studied euphonium with Don Baird. Dr. Gary Garner was the band director there and he was a great role model as a director and teacher. I graduated after 3 years of study in 1977. At the time, it was hard for women to find jobs as band directors, so I came home to El Paso and got offered jobs teaching orchestra. I held out for a band position, and about a week before school started, one finally came my way at Parkland Junior High School.

Since that time I have taught in many different schools and had thousands of band students. Together we made some outstanding music and a lot of great memories, and I am thrilled that over the years many of them also chose to make music their vocation. I am happy to have to opportunity now to give back to the music community here in El Paso and help promote the great programs and wonderful teachers that work with our outstanding students.